The Decibel Magazine Tour 2019 (Show Review)

While I've been to many concerts in my life, I always enjoy an opportunity to return to the Fonda Theatre. At 1,200 capacity there is no lack of space, even though the crowd last night definitely tested that statement.” The eighth edition of Decibel magazine's annual tour steamrolled through Hollywood last night headlined by Cannibal Corpse with Morbid Angel, Necrot, and Blood Incantation.

At this point, I'd be surprised if any fan of death metal wasn't at least aware of all 4 of these bands before this tour was announced. Going into the show last night, I heard about Blood Incantation more than having actually heard their music. Not only did they live up to the praise I had heard, but they also surpassed any expectations I could've had. How they managed to showcase equal amounts of brutality and musicianship is beyond me, but this also could be said about the entire lineup.

Nonetheless, the member of Blood Incantation are here to stay and they proved as much by starting the night off with an exciting half hour set.

With it being a weeknight, the breaks between sets were thankfully on the shorter side and the moments to breathe were brief. Necrot brought their old-school death metal sound to the Fonda in full force last night. With this being my second time seeing Necrot, I had an idea of what the crowd would see. The "death trio" of Luca, Chad, and Sonny are an incredible musical force together.

This is old news to anyone that has already heard their Tankcrimes LP, Blood Offerings, but it's worth repeating. As one of my personal favorite current death metal bands, Necrot is easily going to be remembered as a heavyweight in the American death metal scene.

Morbid Angel, where do I even begin? For the almost 20 years that I've listened to heavy metal, I've known of Morbid Angel in some way. While I haven't always followed them closely, it was certainly an exciting opportunity to finally be able to see them live.

As I was positioned initially in front of the sole remaining original member, guitarist Trey Azagthoth, the packed crowd roared in excitement. Starting with a trio of songs from their latest LP, Kingdoms Disdained, Morbid Angel is fittingly on a warpath and they don't intend on slowing down any time soon.

Whether the crowd was ready for more death metal or not, Cannibal Corpse was ready to deliver! George "Corpsegrinder Fisher even said as much, following the statement with an all too perfect "evil" cackle of sorts as he introduced a personal favorite song of mine, "Staring through the Eyes of the Dead" from Cannibal Corpse's 1994 LP, The Bleeding.

As with Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse did the grueling task of performing a devastating set that showcased 1 song from roughly 70% of their discography! With over 30 years as a band, Cannibal Corpse is deservedly one of the if not the most respected bands in the genre of death metal.

As one of the few remaining print magazines genuinely dedicated to extreme music, Decibel continues to silence any doubters and make an incredible legacy as a publication. To quote the phrase used at various times throughout Morbid Angel's career, "extreme music for extreme people" was fully on display last night and thanks to the various bands as well as Decibel and local Los Angeles promoter Church of the 8th Day, it was a memorable one.

The Decibel Tour continues on through mid-March. Starting March 8, Immolation will take the place of Cannibal Corpse on the tour. A closing note of Decibel Tour trivia: the last time Cannibal Corpse and Immolation took part in the tour, they did so together along with Napalm Death in 2013. Thanks to the staff at the Fonda Theatre for keeping a chaotic room as under control as possible.

About the Author

Benedetto Manzella

Benedetto Manzella is a photographer and writer based in Los Angeles, CA. While not having touring experience as a musician, he's been a drummer/vocalist for 15 years now. Currently in the process of moving to Philadelphia to continue his work as a student of photography, and hoping to form a band soon, Benedetto is also in the process of releasing photo zines and hoping to make that a semi-regular way to showcase the bands he takes photos of. You can see more of his photography work on Instagram.